Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How do titanium mesh and screw grafts compare for dental bone
By Wurtz G et al.·2026·Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics, Italy·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Customized Titanium Mesh vs. Screw Tent-Pole Grafting: A Retrospective Study.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at two different methods for helping patients with severe bone loss in their jaws before getting dental implants. One method used a special titanium mesh that is custom-made for each patient, while the other used a resorbable collagen membrane supported by screws. Researchers found that both methods led to similar improvements in bone height and width after six months, and all implants placed survived without any failures. However, the titanium mesh method took less time to perform during surgery. Overall, both techniques worked well for bone regeneration and keeping the implants stable over time, but the titanium mesh was quicker to use in the operating room.
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a predictable approach for managing severe alveolar ridge deficiencies prior to implant placement. Resorbable collagen membranes supported by tenting screws are widely used, although space maintenance in non-contained defects may be challenging. Customized CAD/CAM titanium meshes have been introduced to enhance graft stability and surgical workflow, but comparative clinical evidence remains limited.<h4>Objective</h4>To compare clinical, radiographic, procedural, and peri-implant outcomes of customized CAD/CAM titanium meshes versus resorbable collagen membranes supported by tenting screws for horizontal and/or vertical alveolar ridge augmentation.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>This retrospective study included 40 patients with severe alveolar ridge defects, allocated to two groups (n = 20 each). Both groups received particulate bone grafts stabilized either with tenting screws and a resorbable collagen membrane or with a patient-specific CAD/CAM titanium mesh. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans at baseline and 6 months were used to assess vertical and horizontal bone gain. Intraoperative time, complications, pseudo-periosteum formation, implant survival, and peri-implant marginal bone levels at prosthetic loading and at 5-year follow-up were recorded.<h4>Results</h4>At 6 months, mean bone height reached 8.7-8.93 mm in the maxilla and 9.25-9.35 mm in the mandible, while mean ridge width ranged from 4.7 to 5.3 mm, with no significant intergroup differences (p > 0.05). Mean peri-implant marginal bone loss was limited and remained stable from prosthetic loading to the 5-year follow-up in both groups. Mean operative time was significantly shorter in the customized mesh group, 72.7 min (range: 60-85) for the Tent-pole group and 62.4 min (range: 60-65) for the Ti-mesh group. All 60 implants placed in 40 augmented sites survived, with no implant failures and no need for additional grafting procedures.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Both GBR techniques provided comparable bone regeneration and long-term peri-implant stability, while customized CAD/CAM titanium meshes were associated with reduced operative time.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41860153